I was at the Great North Run and the event truly showcases the best of the North East
The Great North Run is the North East at its very best.
Sunday, September 7, saw thousands of running making the 13.1 mile journey from Newcastle city centre to the coast in South Shields as they took on the 2025 Great North Run.
Whether you run it every year, line the streets to spectate and show your support or simply just sit at home and watch it on the TV, the iconic half-marathon always brings a buzz to the North East.
From arriving in South Shields town centre just after 8.30am, there was already sense of excitement in the air as runners made their way to the town’s interchange to catch the Metro to Newcastle.
Then as I made my way along the coast and up to The Leas, where the finish line is located, crowds were already lining the streets as they looked to get the best spot possible to cheer on the runners.
Ahead of the weekend, Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, told me that South Shields would be the place to be and she wasn’t wrong.
In a time where they are much division, it felt like everyone was just there to help and support each other - with locals pointing runners in the right direction and businesses opening early to serve breakfast.
There was plenty support on display for the elite runners as they crossed the line in South Shields but the crowds really took it up a level as members of the public approached that iconic final stretch along the Coast Road.
As more and more crossed the finish line, South Shields became washed with a sea of charity vest, a wide variety of costumes and understandably so, a lot of exhausted runners who have just accomplished everything they had been training for.
But as another Great North Run has come and gone, you can feel the sense of pride from the region - with a huge well done to everyone who has taken part in a GNR event this weekend.
Whether you love it or hate it, the Great North Run truly showcases the best of what the North East has to offer.